The mechanical structure of shoes has been improved significantly in recent years. In athletic shoes particularly, structural improvements have been devised in order to improve the efficiency, comfort, and/or useful life of the shoe.
One novel design for an athletic shoe is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,213 issued June 21, 1977. That patent discloses the concept of a pedestal or rocker which is located near the longitudinal center of the shoe, so as to permit a rolling movement of the foot during running.
The pattern of movement of the foot is different for running, for jogging, and for walking. The movement pattern of the foot also depends upon individual characteristics of the person involved, such as his age, weight, and the extent of professional training, if any, that he has had in running. Also, the movement pattern of the foot is determined in part by characteristics of the shoe, and whether it appropriately fills the need to match the natural movements of the runner to the terrain or other supporting surface on which he is running.
In view of the foregoing considerations it is evident that the optimum mechanical design of a shoe used for running will not necessarily be optimum for purpose of jogging, and vice versa. Also, the optimum design of a walking shoe will differ from that of a running or jogging shoe.